I used to feed my doggy poison. :D

[katyd]

I have never used it, but when I asked several of the technician's at my veterinary office which top-of-the-line dog food they recommended I put my new puppy on six years ago, they said that they had seen more health issues from dogs who eat Blue Buffalo than any other top-of-the-line dog food.

Now this could just be their experience, and they weren't specific about which health issues, but at that clinic they do record what each patient is regularly eating, so they must have some idea.

I have always fed Wellness Core and have no complaints with it. Although it is expensive, I get it through Amazon.com and subscribe to it so I can get an extra 15% off above that.

Although I usually use hard cheese or homemade dried liver for dog treats, if I buy store-bought, I go USA made (and sourced) only. Asian-made scares me the most. Melamine anyone? =Katyd

[~Erratic~]

I see so many different brands of dog food since I work at a kennel. So here's the deal: our kennel charges $2 extra per night if an owner brings their own food. We feed a high quality food called Nutro and Taste of the Wild -the dogs love it and most eat better there than at home. However, what some people bring in for their "precious babies" is sometimes downright surprising given the great food option that comes with their boarding fee.

For instance, one lady absolutely adores her little two little maltese. She buys expensive homemade chicken treats, has super soft beds, tiny toys, and nice collars. But what these two spoiled pups are missing is a good diet, as this woman pays $2 extra each night for both dogs ($4 extra) to feed them kibbles n' bits and Caesar dog food. My boss has tried to explain to her what they're missing from their diet and how useless her feed is. People are hard headed though (the red kibbles MUST be as good as raw meat!).

Some lab owners bring in raw hamburger meat and spinach that we have to heat up and add vitamins to.

it's always interesting to see what people know and how they've been conned into buying the cheap brands because of flashy adds (although I do understand price has a big role as well).

[cn_spots]

Could I get some advice on this food company?
http://www.darwinspet.com/
I'd like to put my one dog onto raw, but with work and showing/traveling plus so few sources I'm thinking prepared would be the best option for now. I was getting raw from the feed store but this is almost half the price to have is delivered. Anyone know about them or other providers?

[fairytale.]

We recently got our first shipment of Darwins. It is on the pricier side, and it looks to be made with a vitamin premix BUT it is super convenient and the company seems awesome. We got the trial offer as well as a special offer from the pet expo, which is why we signed up. I asked about pricing and the rep told me that a 10 pound order would not be a lot more than what the trial offer is. Looking at the prices online, it is a LOT more. So we likely won't continue ordering the food.

[BlingBling]

Any suggestions for a 7 year old neutered DSH, about 10lbs, with possible stage one kidney disease?

Bumping ^^

[❤️Elephants❤️]

Ok at first I thought you were serious about feeding your dog poison but then I kept reading.

[Lee-Sins]

Since this is a dog food topic, I figured asking this here would be alright.

I usually make homemade treats from salmon/halibut/deer/moose that I've personally caught/hunted for. Though I was looking around at petco the other day and they had a fairly large selection aswell as the feed store I usually go to and figured I may as well spice things up and mix the treats around. I believe one of you stated having a drawer for just dog treats either on this topic or on a different one.

I was wondering what sort of dog treats you normally get and what are the better ones c:

Might have been me? I have a training toys drawer and a treats drawer.

Honestly I get whatever's from a decent brand and on sale. We bounce between bil jac, zukes, natural balance, and dogstar mostly. Sometimes wellness and solid gold go on decent enough sales for me to nab them too. We get the soft, breakable treats or the soft small "training treats" (and still usually and up breaking them.

That would explain why I remember ;3; your fur-bab is gorgeous by the way! Once I get some decent pictures of my fuzzbutt I'll send em on through. So far the only time he's still is when we're working on commands and when he's catching some Zs.

Thank you though I do appreciate the reply. I was just browsing the store and they had so many different kinds and I was kind of mind blown as I'd always made my own. Though that gives me an idea of what to get as far as brand goes and I do appreciate it c: So far with what I make he likes them, but I just wanted to spice things up just in case he gets burnt out.

[SaraCO2013]

Does anyone use Nutro Ultra canned? Thoughts on it?

[ectophasm]

How about Testimonials?

So, have any of you ever switched your dog or pet from a low quality diet to a healthier one? Doesn't have to be a dog, because.. Lets face it, any animal can benefit from a good diet and show improvements. I'd like to hear your stories and post them here. !

I'll go first. I switched my dog from Kibbles n' bits like posted. I went from Kibbles n bits to Canidea. I noticed first of all that her chronic upset stomach way lessened, but did not ultimately go away. Her coat got softer and sleeker with a very noticeable shine. She gained much needed weight and stayed a healthy weight. I introduced Raw food into her diet and her gray and yellow teeth changed to pearly whites. She no longer has bad doggy breath either! Along with the raw food her coat got even more lush and she started to loose her doggy smell. Now, she has a very dry coat and got to the point where her skin was literally peeling. I changed food to Taste of the Wild which is completely grain free. Her skin is now healthy.. No dandruff. No doggy smell. She smells like shampoo ( peach mango) for weeks on end even with being a outside dog. Her coat is like black satin and ripples in the sun and amazingly soft and thick. Clear eyes with no discharge. No more upset stomach ever! Rippling muscle tone and a healthy weight. It was an amazing transformation. ^^; With the food changes she also became trainable and calmed down a heck of a lot. She gained an attention span once I cut out that nasty Beet Pulp. Also, she just acts like she feels a ton better.

My two cats were upgraded from Meow Mix to a rotation of Evo, Wellness CORE, and Blue Buffalo Wilderness, with raw meals occasionally. My female lost a good 6 pounds and is now slim and fit. She no longer sheds heavily and her coat is growing in thicker and softer. She has become a more outgoing cat and now actually seeks out affection and plays, whereas she slept all day before. My male gain muscle mass, a softer sleeker coat, no more eye drainage or nose discharge ( The vats said it was 'normal' when I adopted him). Also, their poop hardly has a smell and theres much less of it!


Your turn!

One of my cats eat meow mix and it's a piece of paper O.O (Not really, but still: She's extremely skinny.)

[DarkTactics]

Omg!! I thought you were like evil at first!! Did not see that one coming